State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, has filed a bill that would authorize same-sex marriage in Texas. The bill would also recognize civil unions made in other states.
An October 2012 UT /Texas Tribune poll found 69 percent of Texans support some form of recognition for same-sex relationships.
For Texans who support gay marriage, the bill might be just a Valentine’s Day dream. Jim Henson, head of UT’s Texas Politics Project, says that proposals for same-sex marriage and civil unions will still raise flags for Republican lawmakers.
“The most prohibitive responses are declining among Republicans, but it’s still not to the point where you can see a clear majority in favor of gay marriage, per se,” Henson said.
In order for the bill to take effect, voters would have to repeal the 2005 Texas constitutional amendment that defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
